Skylar James Year One
by Ravenna Vitalia
Summary: Skylar James is Harry's first friend he meets on the train, she has an affinity for animals and excels in all aspects of her school life, she is on of Harry's best friends, even beating Ron sometimes, yet despite her seemingly easy life, she has a secret.
1. New Friends

**AN: Thanks for deciding to read my story, It means a lot and I hope I can live up to the reputation of Harry Potter as to not disrespect the name of it. This is the story of my character Skylar's first year, my story will follow the books storyline but with changes. **

Harry Potter, the wizarding world's saviour, sat in an empty compartment on the Hogwarts express, trying to imagine what Hogwarts will look like. The sliding of the compartment door brought him out of his musings, bringing his attention to an odd looking girl standing in the doorway. Her long dark brown, almost black hair reached a little below her hips, filled with odd things, such as gold medallions, bones, and arrow heads, yet the long locks didn't look messy, instead they were smooth and controlled, making Harry wonder how the objects stayed in her hair as her long locks weren't in dread locks, instead freely flowing to her hips. Her milk coffee toned skin was free of blemishes and shine with her healthy tan, making her pale green, almost white eyes glow. Her clothes were normal compared to her appearance, white skinny jeans, a purple tank underneath a black one shouldered baggy top, black worn out combat boots and a dark and light brown shoulder bag that had badges sown all over it.

" May I sit here?" she asked, her voice was a soft lilt, with a hint of a Jamaican accent.

"Of course." Harry replied, nodding at the bench opposite him, slightly wary of the girl due to her appearance. The girl sat opposite Harry, taking her bag off her shoulder and placing it gently beside her, taking a thick book from the bag, crossing her legs underneath her and began to read. Harry's mouth opened and closed a few times before getting the courage to ask his question.

"Why are those things in your hair?"

Letting out a small chuckle as she looked up noticing Harry's wince, she smiled at him. "They represent things, the bones represent death, the golden pirate medallions are for adventure, and the arrow heads are for stealth. I know it's a bit odd but my grandmother is a voodoo priestess and I lived with her a while and she got me interested in the culture of voodoo and once she found out, she did my hair like this as a birthday present last year."

Harry nodded with a small smile of his own, grateful she didn't take offense to his blunt question.

"Skylar James."

"Harry Potter."

"Ah so you're the one those red heads were talking about, are you some type of celebrity?" Skylar asked, her pale eyes looking harry over as if the answer would appear on a badge on him.

"I guess, -" Harry said but was interrupted.

"Can I sit here, everywhere else is full?" a red headed boy asked, looking slightly queasy, a rat poking its head from his jackets pocket.

"Yes, come in." Skylar said, smiling at the boy friendlily, making him look slightly better.

"I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasely." The red headed boy said, smiling at Harry and Skylar.

"Skylar James."

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Ron's jaw dropped, gaping at Harry like he had just noticed him for the first time, making Skylar chuckle before returning back to her book, Charms Grade 1.

"So, so is it true? I mean, do you really have the uh..?" Ron stuttered out, looking uncomfortable.

"The what?" Harry asked perplexed, sending a look to Skylar who only shrugged in confusion and returned to her book.

"The scar?" Ron whispered, leaning forwards toward Harry slightly.

"Oh," Harry said with a nod, reaching up to pull his fringe away with a smile.

"Wicked." Ron said with a slightly glazed look in his eye, smiling back at Harry and Skylar, who had looked up again from her book to see the scar.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" an old looking witch asked, a trolley overflowing with all different types of sweets, of all different colours and shapes.

"No thanks," Ron replied, holding up a cling film wrapped package of corn beef sandwiches, that look a little squished up. "I'm all set."

"Could I have a liquorice wand please?" Skylar asked with a smile at the old witch, melting the old woman's heart despite her odd appearance.

"Of course dear," the old woman said, passing one of the shiny liquorice wands to Skylar, taking the six Knuts and putting them in her register.

Harry looked at Ron and his slight wince as he look at his sandwiches and turned to the old witch, pulling out a few Galleons and saying.

"We'll take the lot."

XxxX

"Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans?" Harry asked with a confused look, sending a glance towards his only female friend Skylar, who at this time had finished reading Charms Grade 1, and now was onto Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by Newt Scamander.

"They mean every flavour," Ron said, after swallow his bite of ice mice. "There's chocolate and Peppermint, spinache, liver and tripe." Harry swallowed his jelly bean with a disgusted look. "George swore he got a bogey flavoured one once."

"These aren't real Chocolate frogs are they?" Harry asked, holding up a blue and gold hexagon shaped packet.

"Its just a spell, Harry" Skylar said with a smile, earning a grateful look from Harry as his nerves were calmed.

"Besides, it's the cards you want. Each packs got a famous witch or wizard, I've got about five hundred of them myself." Ron said slightly boasting, before passing his Rat, Scabbers a shimmering pink square of coconut ice.

Harry opened the package, a croak sounding once the lid was off, the chocolate frog jumped from the package onto the window, its feet pads sticking to the window just like a normal frog. Skylar whipped her wand out, pointing it at the chocolate frog.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Skylar annunciate, moving her wand with a swish and flick. The chocolate frog moved off from the window, and into Harry's hand, being controlled by Skylar's wand, which she quickly put away once seeing Ron's disbelieving look, along with Harry's, tucking it back into her worn out combats. Harry looked down at the card in his hand, tilting it left and right to look at the old wizard that stood there with a wise smile on his face.

"I've got Dumbledore," Harry said happily, finally getting to see the man that was the headmaster of Hogwarts, and the man Hagrid held in such high esteem.

"I've got about six of him," Ron said around a partially full mouth of sweets, swallowing the food before continuing to eat.

"Hey he's gone," Harry said incredulously, looking down at the card which just a minute ago showcased the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Well you can't expect him to hang around all day," Ron replied, popping a Bertie Botts every flavoured bean in his mouth. Harry looked down at Ron's lap, looking at the rat whose head was buried in a pack of Bertie Botts, finally noticing him.

"This is Scabbers by the way, pathetic isn't he?" Ron asked, looking down at his Rat, stroking his back gently.

"Just a bit," Harry replied.

"Fred gave me a spell that turns him yellow, want to see?" Ron asked, pulling Scabbers head out of the empty package.

"Yeah," Harry replied, hoping to see more magic, still impressed at Skylar's earlier trick at levitating the chocolate frog, eager to see more. Ron took out his wand, clearing his throat over exaggeratingly, pointing it at Scabbers.

"Sunshine-" Ron started, only to be interrupted by a huff. Looking up to see a bushy haired girl with large front teeth standing in the doorway, looking slightly exasperated.

"Has anyone seen a toad, a boy named Neville's lost one?" the girl asked, her tone of voice hinting that she thought a lot of her self.

"No," Ron mumbled, turning back to Scabbers and pointing his wand at him.

"Oh are you doing magic? Let's see then." The girl demanded, turning her nose up slightly as Ron cleared his throat over exaggeratingly once again.

"Sunshine, Daisy, Butter, Mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." Ron said proudly, a gold light coming from his wand and into Scabbers, making him squeak loudly, his fur not changing though from its dull brown. Ron shrugged towards Harry, who shrugged back and to Skylar who was holding out her hand for Scabbers, petting him softly on his head between his ears, making him squeak with delight at the soft touch.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl said with an indignant huff. "Of course its not very good then is it? Of course I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me." She said, moving forwards to stand in front of Harry, pointing her wand at his face.

"Occulus Reparo" the girl said, giving a little flick at the end of her incantation, nothing happening. Harry and Ron snickered at her downtrodden expression, Skylar shaking her head at them, before moving to stand next to the girl.

"You don't need to give a flick at the end, just pointing it will do, try it out." Skylar encouraged the girl, giving a friendly smile. The girl smiled and nodded, repeating the spell again and following Skylar's instruction, Harry's glasses giving a slight shake before the sellotape that was keeping the bridge of his glasses together flew off, revealing the mended glasses.

"That's better isn't it," Skylar said with a smile at both Harry and the girl, going back to her seat and her book, Scabbers resting on her jean clad knee.

"Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter." The girl said with a slight hint of awe in her tone. "I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?" turning to Ron with a look of distaste on her face.

"I'm Ron Weasely," Ron replied with a full mouth of pumpkin pasty.

"Pleasure," Hermione replied with a dry tone, turning to smile brightly at Skylar, who returned the smile with a soft smile of her own. "And you?"

"Skylar James, it is nice to meet you Hermione," Skylar replied, her slight Jamaican accent making her lilting voice making Hermione feel a little more at ease.

"You three better change into your robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon." And with that Hermione swept out of the carriage, before popping her head back around the doorway to address Ron. "You've got dirt on you're nose by the way, did you know, just there." Hermione said, pointing to the left side of her nose before walking out of sight.

XxxX

The train pulled up to the station at Hogsmeade, a large man with an equally large dog stood by the front of the train, a lantern in his hand, the other resting on the dogs head.

"Right then first years, this way please! Come on now, first years don't be shy!" the man shouted, smiling as Harry, Skylar and Ron walked up to him. " Hello there Harry, Skylar," Hagrid said with a nod at Harry and Skylar, smiling at the young girl who was kneeling besides Fang, the boarhound and scratching him behind the ears, placing kisses all over his muzzle and forehead, making the dog whine excitedly. " Right this way to the boats! Follow me!" Hagrid turned and walked over to a row of boats, floating in what seemed to be black ink. "Four to a boat!" Hagrid shouted over the enthusiastic talk of the first years.

"Hagrid, can Fang come with me?" Skylar asked from her boat, Ron and Harry talking excitedly to each other from in front of her, looking up at the half giant pleadingly, her pale eyes seeming to glow in the darkness. Hagrid's face softened and his eyes seemed to melt as he looked at Skylar's pleading face, smiling and nodding at Skylar, who squealed happily and hugged Fang to her side when he cautiously stepped in.

"Onwards!" Hagrid shouted from his own boat, pointing his umbrella forwards, the boats instantly taking off across the waters, revealing a large castle, aglow with hundreds of flaming torches, that lead up the stairs to the front gate.

Harry turned to look back at his female friend, seeing Skylar looking at Hogwarts castle with awe, and the large boarhounds head resting on her lap as her small hands absently stroked his head.


	2. The Sorting & The Next Day

**AN: Thank you all so much for reading my first Chapter, I am honored so many of you read it and the PM's I got congratulating me on it, thank you so much. So onto the sorting! **

Harry, Skylar and Ron walked up the grand staircase, stopping in front of a large doorway, where an old strict looking witch was standing. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her eyes were framed with tortoise shell glasses.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, in a few moments you shall pass through these doors and join your class mates, but before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now while you're here, you're house will be like your family, you're triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you shall loose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup-" Professor McGonagall explained, being interrupted by a shout.

"Trevor!" a round-faced boy shouted, running up the stairs to pick up a toad that was a few inches from McGonagall's feet, before looking up to the professor with an apologetic look, "Sorry," he said, before walking back to beside Hermione.

"The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily," Professor McGonagall announced, before walking through the doors.

"Its true then, what they were saying on the train," a boy with ice blonde hair, slicked backwards with gel said in a pompous tone, his cold grey stare locked on Harry. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

Everyone instantly burst into whispers about Harry, the savior of the Wizarding world.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," the boy said gesturing to two large boys with vacant expressions on both their faces, with his head. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron snickered at the blonde boys name under his breath, hoping the boy wouldn't hear, but with no luck as he turned his piercing eyes onto him.

"Think my names funny do you? No need to ask yours, Red hair and a hand me down robe, you must be a Weasely." Malfoy spat, making Ron flinch. Skylar noticing the slight flinch looked up from her book, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"Such taunts are below your high breeding Mr. Malfoy, you should be ashamed at your behavior." Skylar stated in a blasé tone, going back to her book as Draco stuttered.

"And who are you?" Draco spat, regaining his composure to look at the odd girl, sneering at the objects in her hair. "And what's up with your hair, freak."

"I am Skylar James," Skylar replied impassively, her soft lilt and Jamaican accent flowing smoothly together, her pale eyes flitting up from her book and caught the wince that was on the blondes face.

Draco winced, remembering from the lessons his mother gave him when he was younger, teaching him about Magic, the James family being decedents of the Goddess Calypso. Draco turned back to Harry, his fake smile back in place.

"You'll soon find that some Wizarding families are better than others Potter, you don't want to go on making friends with the wrong sort," Draco stated, sneering towards Ron, who was calmed by the hand Skylar had placed on his arm. "I can help you there," Draco offered, holding his hand out for a handshake.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks." Harry replied, not accepting Draco's hand. Draco opened his mouth to replied, but was interrupted by professor McGonagall returning and tapping him on the shoulder with a piece of rolled up parchment.

"Were ready for you now," McGonagall announced, "Follow me." She turned and walked towards the doors, which swung open jus before she walked into them. The first years walking in two's, except Skylar who walked with Fang besides her as Hagrid had disappeared once McGonagall appeared.

Skylar stood behind Ron and Harry, her hand resting on Fang's head, while Fang nuzzled into her side, resting his large head on her hip. McGonagall left them standing at the bottom of the raised stone platform, placing an old looking hat on a plain stool, the hall going completely quiet. The teachers who were at the head table looked at the first years, smiling encouragingly at them, Hagrid winking at Skylar as he saw where Fang had gone, seeing his boarhound melt as Skylar stroked his head.

"Now before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." Professor McGonagall announced, turning to look at the wise old wizard who was sitting on a gold throne looking chair.

"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce," Albus Dumbledore stated, in a slightly rasping voice. "First years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also our caretaker, Mr. Filch would like me to remind you that the first floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds, to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you." He finished, before sitting down once again on the golden throne. Professor McGonagall unraveled the parchment in her hands, before looking over the first years with a slightly stern look.

"When I call your name you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head and you shall be sorted into your houses." Professor McGonagall announced, picking up the hat by the point tip that was angle towards the side.

"Hermione Granger."

"Mental that one I'm telling you," Ron mumbled to Skylar and Harry, receiving a nod from Harry and an exasperated look from Skylar.

"Mmmm right then, ah I see, right…Gryffindor!" the hat shouted, the Gryffindor table erupting into cheers.

"Draco Malfoy!"

"Slytherin!" the hat shouted less than a second after it touched the ice blonde's head.

"Susan Bones!"

"Ah," Harry yelped softly, bringing Skylar and Ron's attention to him, worry on both their faces.

"Harry what is it?" Skylar fretted, laying a hand on Harry's arm, worry clear on her face.

"Nothing," Harry muttered, staring at a professor in all black robes, with greasy limp hair that framed his gaunt face that was topped off with a crooked nose. "Nothing I'm fine." The professor turned to talk to a man in a pale purple turban that seemed to stutter a lot.

"I know, Hufflepuff," the hat announced, Susan hopping off the stool and hurrying towards the Hufflepuff table who cheered loudly.

"Ronald Weasely!"

"Ah! Another Weasely, I know just what to do with you. Gryffindor!" the hat shouted, the Gryffindor table cheering wildly.

"Harry Potter," McGonagall announced, the hall filling with whispers, before quieting down as the hat was placed on his head.

"Mmmm difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind either, and there's talent, oh yes and thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?" The hat said echoing throughout the quiet hall.

"Not Slytherin," Harry whispered desperately, hoping the hat would grant his wish.

"Not Slytherin eh? Are you sure, you could be great you know, its all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness. There's no doubt about that, no well if your sure, Gryffindor!" the hat shouted, Gryffindor table erupting into shouts and cheers of 'we've got Potter!"

The sorting continued until Skylar was the only one left, Professor McGonagall giving a slight smile towards the girl who was stroking Hagrid's dog absently, the large boarhound seeming to hang onto every stroke.

"And finally Skylar James, who is transferring from Caribbean."

Skylar walked up the steps, the medallions and arrow heads in her hair clinking together softly, filling the hall with a soft melody as the girl walked to the stool, Fang sitting down beside the stool on her right.

"Ah, a brilliant mind, very studious, Ravenclaw would suit you well, yet so much courage, and a secret how interesting, I know just where to put you, Gryffindor!" the hat shouted, Gryffindor erupting into cheers as Skylar sat down next to harry, Fang jumping up onto the bench next to her, licking her face, making her laugh gleefully, trying to push the dog away, making people within earshot smile at her infectious laughter.

"Your attention please," Professor McGonagall called, tapping her spoon against her glass, chiming filling the hall and everyone instantly settling down. Professor Dumbledore stood up, smiling down at his students.

"Let the feast begin," Dumbledore, announced, food instantly appearing on the tables, and people began talking again.

Harry and Ron instantly began piling food onto their plates, while Skylar took a chicken breast and salad, looking at her friends with lightly veiled disgust as they shoveled food down their throats. Sharing a look with Hermione, Skylar smiled at the young witch, as Hermione sent a disgusted look towards Harry and Ron, who were still stuffing their faces.

"I'm Half, and half, Mam's a witch, Dads a muggle, bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out." A boy named Seamus Finnigan shared, the two boys either side of him sniggering at the thought of his shocked father.

"Say Percy," Harry started, bringing the older Weasely child's attention to him. "Who's that teacher talking to professor Quirrell?"

"Oh that's professor Snape, head of Slytherin House."

"What's he teach?" Skylar asked, over hearing their conversation, her pale eyes curious.

"Potions," Percy said with a smile at Skylar, "but everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies, he's been after Quirrell's job for years."

Ron reached for another chicken thigh, letting out a yelp when a head popped through the table in front of him.

"Hello!" the ghost said jovially, smiling brightly as the first years all stared at him in shock. "How are you, welcome to Gryffindor." The ghost said to Ron, nodding his head in his direction.

"Hello Sir Nicholas, have a nice summer?" Percy asked the ghost, who turned to Percy with an angry look on his face.

"Dismal," Sir Nicholas replied, "Once again my request to join the headless hunt has been denied." Floating away, but being stopped by Ron's statement.

"I know you, you're nearly headless Nick."

"I prefer Sir Nicholas if you don't mind."

"Nearly headless, how can you be nearly headless?" Hermione asked, confused at the prospect of nearly, you either are or you aren't.

"Like this," Sir Nicholas said with a smile, pulling his head to the side to show his head only staying on with a few strands of skin and muscle. Ron yelped in horror and Hermione looked away with a disgusted look, quickly being brought into a conversation with Skylar who tried to make the bushy haired girl feel more comfortable.

XxxX

Percy led the first year Gryffindor's up a staircase, looking back over his shoulder to make sure they were keeping up.

"Gryffindor's follow me please, keep up." Percy said before turning right, Ravenclaw's turning left and down a different staircase. "This is the most direct path to the dormitories," Percy explained, "oh and keep an eye on the staircases, they like to change."

Harry and Skylar looked upwards in awe, hundreds of staircases above them, changing and moving every once in a while. Before following Percy, stopping slightly as they saw pictures moving, talking to each other and waving at them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," a painting of an old wizard stated, smiling back at Skylar who smiled at the old wizard.

They finally arrived at a picture of a large woman in an ornate pink dress, a regal look on her face as she regarded the first years in front of her. "Password?" she asked, her voice as regal as her appearance.

"Caput Draconis." Percy replied, moving back slightly as the picture frame swung open, revealing an archway into a homey looking room, decorated in red and gold with a large fireplace, a roaring fire already lit.

"Gather round here," Percy instructed, looking around the first years. " Welcome to the Gryffindor common room, boys dorms upstairs and down to your left, girls the same on your right. You'll find all your belongings have already been brought up."

"Well I'll see you both tomorrow, sleep well." Skylar said, hugging both Ron and Harry before walking up with Hermione who had been waiting at the foot of the stairs.

"Goodnight," Harry and Ron replied, smiling at each other before following them up, going to their own dormitory.

XxxX

The sun began to rise in the sky, its dull rays casting onto Skylar's face, waking the girl up slowly as her bed was right by the window, Hermione's on the other side of the window, though her curtains were closed. Slowly getting out of bed, Skylar silently got dressed, brushing her long hair, her hair only containing golden medallions today, her arrowheads and bones in a small box in her dresser. Adding a few braids in her hair, Skylar pulled it up into a high ponytail, the braids standing out as they weaved through the long mane of hair. Slipping on black combat boots, slipping her wand into her right boot, she picked up a pierce of parchment, writing a short note telling Hermione where she was and leaving it on the bushy haired girls bed, Skylar picked up her bag, and left the dorm quietly. Heading down the staircases, Skylar walked over to the black lake, setting her bag down and sitting beside it, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. Taking out her advance charms book that her grandmother gave her, Skylar flicked through it, trying to find a simple charm to try. Smiling when she found one, Skylar stood up and focused on a pile of fallen leaves. Taking out her wand, she pointed it at the leaves, taking a deep breath.

"Avifors," Skylar annunciated, squealing when the leaves exploded into feathers. Giving a small laugh at her own fright, Skylar removed her hand from her chest, where it had flew to in fright. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at her book; Skylar spotted an easier way to get the same result, only differently. Facing the black lake, Skylar pointed her wand to the sky.

"Avis!"

A flock of small blue and silver birds flew from her wand, swirling gracefully in the air around her, twirling and diving every once in a while, almost like a dance on the air currents.

"Miss. James!" squeaked a voice, bringing Skylar out of her trance, scaring her.

"Oppugno!" Skylar yelped, pointing her wand at the voice, the birds diving towards the person, pecking at figure. Noticing the small stature, Skylar panicked as she recognized it as her Charms Professor, Filius Flitwick, the birds dissolving into feathers as her concentration was shot.

"Ah! Sorry professor, you scared me!" Skylar said, rushing towards the fallen figure of her teacher, helping him back up with a wince when she saw his scratches.

"I'm fine dear, how did you do that charm? Its third year level, rather than first year!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, looking at Skylar incredulously. Skylar winced slightly, thinking she was in trouble. Seeing her look, Flitwick rushed to assure her. "You're not in trouble Miss. James, I was just wondering."

"I don't really know professor, when I read a spell that concerns animals, or helping someone it just comes naturally, I mean I stopped Harry's chocolate frog from getting away with Wingardium Leviosa on the train here." Skylar replied, looking down at the ground ashamed, as she knew she wasn't supposed to do magic outside of school.

"Interesting, very interesting. I'll be seeing you Miss. James and keep practicing," with a wink and a smile, professor Flitwick waddled off into the castle, looking back to see gold and silver birds dancing around Skylar.

"She's interesting isn't she Filius," a wise voice commented, making the charms professor squeak and jump in fright.

"Oh, Headmaster. She is indeed," professor Flitwick replied, both of them turning to look as a familiar looking boarhound ran up to the young witch, playing with her as the birds twirled around her in a complicated dance on the air currents.

XxxX

Hermione and Skylar walked into their Transfiguration classroom together, after they had finished breakfast early, seeing they were the only ones in the classroom besides silver tabby cat that was sitting on McGonagall's desk, they took seats at the front, taking out their books and parchment. Hermione started to read through her book, while Skylar just stared at the cat suspiciously, looking it over. Spotting something unusual about the cat, Skylar tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips slightly.

"Professor McGonagall what exactly are we doing this lesson?" Skylar asked, still looking at the cat, noticing the slight shock that entered the cat's eyes.

"Skylar, what are you doing? Professor McGonagall isn't here," Hermione said in confusion, having looked up and seeing that their professor wasn't in sight, went back to her book.

"Perhaps, though the perfect alter ego for a Transfiguration professor would be an Animagus, would it not?"

The cat seemed to sigh before it leapt of the desk, transforming into their professor, who had proud look in her eye, though it was highly disguised. Hermione gasped in shock, though Skylar's lips just twitched in satisfaction before returning to normal.

"Well done Miss. James, if I may ask how do you know of Animagus's?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking down at the young witch, Professor McGonagall had told her of the girls intuitive and intelligence, but no other student had ever saw through her disguise before.

"I don't know a lot about them professor, though my grandmother is a crocodile due to where she lives. An Animagus is a witch or wizard who morph themselves into an animal, each Animagus has ears an identifying mark on their animal form that is caused by something on their human body, I saw that you had dark fur in the shape of your glasses around you eyes, just like my grandmother has in her form, so I connected the dots." Skylar replied, blushing under her professor's stare and looking down at her desk.

"Two points to Gryffindor for figuring out my disguise Miss. James, and another two for your detective skills." Professor McGonagall granted, giving a rare smile to the girl, and a nod to Hermione who was looking at Skylar with joy, no doubt the girl happy to find another student on the same intellect level.

The rest of the class filed in, taking their seats as McGonagall started the lesson, introducing herself before bringing their attention to the blackboard, where a lecture on how to turn a match stick into a needle was written, as they would be doing practical next lesson, before turning back into her Animagus form. Gasps erupted from the class, though they were quickly quieted down by a stern look from their professor, who despite being a fluffy creature was still a person you didn't want to mess with. Halfway through the lesson, Harry and Ron ran in, breathing heavily no doubt having ran straight from their dorms to the classroom.

"Whew, we made it." Ron huffed, placing a hand on his stitch, not used to running that much. "Can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late."

The cat seemed to raise its eyebrow before leaping of the desk, transforming into their professor, who stood in front of them with a stern look on her face.

"That was bloody brilliant," Ron said in awe, Harry silent, as his mouth was open in shock.

"Thank you for that assessment Mr. Weasely, perhaps it would be more useful if I Transfigured Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocket watch, that way one of you might be on time," Professor McGonagall reprimanded sternly, looking down at the two young wizards who looked uncomfortable at her stare.

"We got lost," Harry piped up, having gotten over his shock.

"Then perhaps a map, I trust you don't need one to find your seats."

XxxX

The potions classroom door swung open, slamming against the wall, making the students inside jump. Severus Snape stalked gracefully up to his desk, his robes billowing out behind him like bat wings, fluttering in the draft ever so slightly. Sneering slightly at his class, he crossed his arms before starting the lesson.

"There shall be no silly wand waving, or foolish incantations in this class. As such I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion making, so for those select few who posses the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses, how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death. Then again maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough not to pay attention." Professor Snape stated, looking directly at Harry who at this time was taking notes of everything professor Snape had said. Skylar seeing his look nudged Harry inconspicuously, bringing his attention back to Snape.

"Mr. Potter, our resident Celebrity. Tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood." Snape asked, seeing only two hands go up, one belonging to Hermione Granger, the other belonging to Skylar James. Harry shook his head, not know the answer.

"You don't know? Then lets try again, where Mr. Potter would you go if I asked you to find me a Bezoar." Professor Snape asked again, the only two hands going up again being Hermione's and Skylar's.

"I don't know sir," Harry said lamely, shrugging ever so slightly, though Professor Snape caught the shrug, his eyes darkening slightly.

"And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" Snape asked, this time only Skylar's hand going up, Hermione chewing on her lip as she tried to remember.

"I don't know sir," Harry replied again, this time forgoing the shrug.

"Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything Mr. Potter, is it?" Snape sneered slightly before continuing on with his lesson.

Once the lesson had finished every quickly filed out, Hermione waiting for Skylar outside as she wanted to ask Professor Snape something, even being a slight know it all, Hermione didn't want to be in that classroom any longer than necessary. Severus Snape regarded the young girl with a slightly confused face, though it instantly melted into its usual indifferent mask, not one of his students had ever stayed behind after one of his lessons to ask something.

"Did you need something Miss. James?" Snape asked in a cold voice, looking down at the young witch, who looked back at him unflinchingly.

"Professor Snape, though I don't know the reason why you favor Slytherin over other houses, except the fact you're their head of house, I would appreciate it if you didn't give me bad grades just over prejudice. I'm not asking for special treatment, I actually enjoy teachers pointing out things I've done wrong, because it helps me learn. I would just like you not to give me a bad grade, if I did something right, just because I' m not in Slytherin." Skylar stated softly, not wanting to anger the potions master.

Severus Snape looked at his young pupil with an indifferent mask, though inside his emotions were bubbling with shock. This little girl, had just called him out on his prejudice, encouraged him to pick out the things she did wrong in class and asked him to consider giving her a good grade if she got her work right, even if she wasn't in Slytherin, something that no student had ever had the guts to do before, and the real reason for his shock was the fact he was considering doing it.

"Fine Miss. James, I agree to not give you bad grades just because you are not Slytherin, but if you do not get either a Exceeds Expectations or an Outstanding on your finals I shall disregard your presence entirely." Professor Snape agreed, his black eyes seeming to stare right into the young girl, who nodded happily, walking out of the classroom pausing only to throw over her shoulder.

"Goodbye Professor Snape, have a good day."

XxxX

In the Great Hall, many of the students of Hogwarts were at their tables doing homework or having a snack and talking to friends. Skylar sat opposite Ron and Harry who were attempting to do their homework, Skylar having already finished hers was helping them both and Neville to do theirs. Hermione was silently doing hers, asking Skylar questions every now and then, though they weren't to do with homework, more on the life she had in Jamaica. Seamus was attempting to turn his water into rum, his spell not working and eventually blowing up in his face, making the older Gryffindor's laugh at his misfortune. Screeching filled the air as owls swooped in, dropping objects to their owners.

"Can I borrow this?" Harry asked Ron, holding up Ron's newspaper, Ron nodding in response reading his letter that also came.

Neville's package contained a glass ball, with a band of metal around the middle, which instantly filled with red smoke once settled in Neville's palm.

"Hey look, Neville's got a Remembrall." Dean Thomas said, looking at the red filled smoke object in the pudgy boys hand.

"I've read about those, when the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something." Hermione stated, before asking Skylar for her help on a diagram for Transfigurations.

"The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten." Neville said sadly, before returning back to his homework.

"Hey Ron, Skylar someone broke into Gringotts. Listen, 'believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins while acknowledging the breach, insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, vault 713 had in fact been emptied that very same day. That's odd, that's the vault Hagrid and I went to." Harry read out, looking up to see an inquisitive look on Skylar's face, while Hermione who had been eavesdropping looked suspicious for some reason.

XxxX

"Good afternoon class!" a chipper voice said. The voice belonging to a woman in her early forties with silver hair and yellow hawk like eyes, Rolanda Hooch.

"Good afternoon Madam Hooch."

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well what are you waiting for, everyone step up to the left side of their broom, stick your right hand over your broom and say 'UP!'" Madam Hooch instructed, the class following her orders, Harry's being the only one to fly up the first time, Skylar joining him next while Hermione's rolled around a bit and with a thwack Ron's hit his forehead, earning a chuckle from the Slytherin's. Once everyone's broom was in his or her hand, Madam Hooch continued.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it, and grip it tight. When I blow my whistle I want each of you to kick of slightly, hover, lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle, three, two," Madam Hooch counted down, blowing on her whistle.

Neville's broom hovered slightly, before slowly going upwards.

"Mr. Longbottom get down. Mr., Mr. Longbottom!" Madam Hooch demanded, scowling when he continued to rise, jerking wildly on his broom.

Neville crashed into one of the school's towers, before diving down low to the ground, forcing his teacher and classmates to dive out of the way to avoid him. Skylar took out her wand from her combat, her pale eyes glowing fiercely as Neville fell from where he had gotten his cloak caught, pointing her wand at the falling form of her friend.

"Impedimenta!" Skylar shouted, a gold light shooting out of her wand, making Neville fall slower, so that when he hit the ground his ribs would break or fracture. Neville hit the ground with a loud thud, Madam Hooch and Skylar running over to the whimpering boy.

"Oh dear it's a broken wrist," Madam Hooch tutted, helping the boy up as Skylar fretted from beside them, fidgeting with her wand, Madam Hooch seeing this nodded hesitantly at the young girl, having seen her spell slow Neville's drop.

"Ferula!" Skylar casted, bandages and a splint appearing to wrap around Neville's wrist tightly, keeping it straight until it got to Madam Pomfrey, earning a thankful look from Neville.

"Now I want everyone's feet to stay firmly on the ground while I escort Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing."

After placing her wand back in her boot, Skylar hurried after Madam Hooch and Neville, wanting to stay with the boy, as she knew he didn't have many friends. They arrived at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey coming out of her office and walked over to them. Noticing the bandage on Neville's wrist, the Mediwitch looked over to flying teacher in confusion.

"Miss. James here used a spell to wrap and splint Mr. Longbottom's wrist, I really must get back Poppy, Miss. James you have my permission to stay if Madam Pomfrey lets you." And with that the flight teacher swooped out of the hospital wing, her robes billowing in a way that would make Professor Snape proud.

"Well sit down Mr. Longbottom, you'll be here a while." Madam Pomfrey instructed, leading Neville over to a bed, Skylar following and sitting on a chair beside Neville. "Here you go Mr. Longbottom, drink up, it will take a while for that wrist to heal." Madam Pomfrey said, giving a vial of purple liquid to Neville, who drank it down, grimacing at the taste. Skylar wanting to take Neville's attention of his hurting wrist caught his attention by jumping on his bed beside him, pointing her wand in the air.

"Where's your wand Neville, I would like to teach you something," Skylar said with a serene smile, her soft lilting voice calming Neville who looked frightened at trying to learn a trick. Neville hesitantly took out his wand from his robe, pointing it up in the air along with Skylar.

"Repeat after me, Avis."

"Avis."

With that, a flock of silver and gold birds flew from Skylar's wand, while green and white flew from Neville's, the flocks of birds twirling gracefully around the two's heads, making Neville laugh when every once in a while a bird from his flock would fly down to caress against his face gently. Making the old Mediwitch who was watching secretly from her office smile.

**XxX**

**Thank you for reading, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask via review or PM I don't mind. Just a note, the reason why Snape agreed to Skylar's suggestion is not because he likes her, but because she's the first student to actually be civil to him and call him out to his face about his prejudice towards Gryffindor's. **


	3. The Third Floor And A Fight

**AN: Thank you all for your kind words via PM or review. Also thank you for asking me questions about Skyler, I'm hoping she isn't that hard to understand, though I'm determined on making her a character who you understand and can relate to at times, but also at the same time you cant understand her and wonder what is going on in her mind. **

**Who Said I'm Human- Skyler is the descendent of Calypso and Davy Jones, if you haven't noticed I'm following the Pirates of the Caribbean love story between Calypso/ Tia Dalma and Davy Jones- though Jack Sparrow, and any of those characters ****won't**** be in the story, just the love between Davy Jones and Calypso.**

Harry Potter having just received the news he was the new Gryffindor seeker, ran back to where Ron was waiting, telling him the news.

"Seeker? But first years never get on the house teams." Ron exclaimed excitedly, grinning at Harry. " You must be the youngest seeker in a-"

"Century, according to McGonagall." Harry interrupted with a grin of his own.

"Hey well done Harry, Wood just told us." Fred said, George and Skyler beside him, the young female witch grinning at her two friends.

"Fred and George are on the team; Beaters. " Ron explained, smiling back at Skyler when she slipped in-between Ron and Harry, linking their arms together.

"Our job is to make sure you don't get bloodied up too bad," George explained with a grin. "Can't make any promises of course, rough game Quidditch."

"Brutal, no ones died in years, though someone will vanish occasionally." Fred continued, his grin growing wider at Harry's frightened look.

"But they'll turn up in a month or two!" George shouted at the retreating trio.

"Oh go on Harry, Quidditch is great," Ron encouraged, seeing Harry's queasy face at Fred and George's information.

"It's a fun game, and I bet you'll be great at it Harry." Skyler said helpfully, reaching down to snag her wand from her right combat, fiddling with it.

"But I've never even played Quidditch," Harry complained, looking down at the floor. "What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't make a fool of yourself, its in your blood," Hermione said, moving to stand by Skyler, grabbing the girls hand before leading them to a trophy case, full of Quidditch shields and trophies. Hermione pointed out a specific shield, before turning to Skyler, both of them talking animatedly about their Herbology homework, something Skyler excelled at.

"Whoa," Ron whispered, looking at the shield. "Harry, you never told me your father was a seeker too!"

"I didn't know," Harry mumbled, his stare fixated on the shield, before the group left for their common room.

"It's freaky, she knows more about you, than you do!" Ron exclaimed to Harry, trudging up a staircase slowly.

"Who doesn't?" Harry asked with a slight grimace.

A slow grating noise filled the air as the staircases rumbled, swinging slowly to the side, connecting to a different part of the castle.

"What's happening!" Harry shouted, looking at Skyler, Hermione and Ron clinging on to the banisters for dear life.

"The staircases change, remember," Skyler answered, still fiddling with her wand before placing it behind her ear. The staircase finally stopped moving with a 'clunk', the group all-exchanging looks.

"Let's go this way," Harry suggested, walking forwards and towards an arch. "Before they start to move again."

Harry opened the heavy wooden door, the hinges screeching in protest, revealing a dark room that barely had any light, a cobweb ridden statue placed in the middle of the room, another wooden door on the other side of the room.

"Does anybody else feel like we shouldn't be here," Ron asked warily, looking around the dusty room, peering into the shadows as if something were to jump out at them.

"Were not supposed to be here, this is the third floor, its forbidden." Skyler replied, her soft lilting voice a little shaky as they surveyed the room. A torch suddenly flicked on, making the group jump.

"Let's go!" Hermione hissed, grabbing Skyler's arm in fright, a meow sounded behind them, making the group spin around.

"It's Filch's cat! Run!" Harry shouted, the group running further into the room, towards the other door, torches lighting up once the group passed them. "Quick! Lets hide through that door!" Harry and Ron tugged at the handle incessantly, trying to yank it open, to no avail.

"It's locked!" Harry said exasperated, grimacing at the thought of detention with Filch.

"That's it were done for," Ron exclaimed in a shaky voice, wincing.

"Move over, Alohamora!" Skyler said gently, pointing her wand at the door, which swung open at her command. The group hiding behind the door, their ears pressed to the thick wooden surface, listening out for noises.

"Alohamora?" Ron asked, scowling slightly with confusion.

"Standard book of spells, chapter seven." Hermione piped up from beside Skyler, still holding the other girls arm. Looking through the keyhole, the bushy haired girl saw Filch leave. "Filch has gone."

"Probably thinks this doors locked," Ron mumbled to Hermione, giving her a small smile.

"That's because it was," she replied, turning away to look at Skyler who was staring with an open mouth in the opposite direction.

"For good reason," Harry said, looking in Skyler's direction and seeing what she was looking at, a massive three headed dog sleeping, one of the heads mouth being open to reveal large sharp yellow teeth.

The dog started to wake up, yawning and stretching their necks, the three pairs of eyes scoping the room out before spotting the four children in front of it. The quartet screamed and ran out of the door, loud barking and growling sounding behind them as they sprinted from the room, up a staircase to their common room.

"What do they think they're doing! Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school!" Ron hissed, keeping his voice down as to not wake up the rest of their house.

"You don't use your eyes do you?" Hermione hissed back at Ron, scowling at the red headed boy, who scowled back.

"It was standing on a trap door," Skyler said gently, trying to calm down her friends, smiling reassuringly at Harry who still looked a bit queasy. "It isn't there by accident, it's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry asked looking at his only female friend, as Hermione was more of an acquaintance than a friend.

"That's right, now if you don't mind I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get kill us, or worse expelled." Hermione hisses before storming into the girl's wing of the Gryffindor dorms.

"She needs to sort out her priorities," Ron mumbled, shaking his head in surprise that Hermione finds being expelled worse than dead.

"Goodnight you two, I'll see you tomorrow." Skyler said, hugging both her friend's goodnight before following going into the girls wing, looking back to see her friends walk into the boys wing.

XxxX

Oliver Wood and Harry walked into a private courtyard, the two of them carrying a red and dark gold trunk between them, Skyler walking quietly behind them, reading an advanced book on Herbology.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand, each team has seven players; three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and one seeker, that's you." Oliver Wood explained, the Gryffindor captain looking over at Harry's strange young friend, her hair tied up in a painful looking knot on the top of her head, a sharp bone stabbed through it, medallions and arrow heads dangling from the bone. "Who're you?"

"Skyler James," she replied, looking up from her book with a soothing smile, her soft lilting voice easing any of Oliver's wariness about her appearance.

Oliver opened up the chest, revealing a large red ball, with two dark brown balls either side of it, which were straining against the chains that tied them down.

"There are three kinds of balls," Oliver said, passing the large red ball to Harry, who caught it on reflex. "This ones called the Quaffle, the Chasers handle this ball and try to get them through one of those three hoops." Oliver explained, pointing to the Quidditch pitch, which sported three rings on either side of the pitch and tall stands placed around the ring. "The Keeper, that's me, defends the hoops with me so far?"

"I think so, what are those?" Harry asked, looking at the two brown balls fighting against the chains.

"You better take this," Oliver instructed, handing a bat to Harry, the younger boy gulping slightly, looking over to his friend who although was reading and seeming not to pay attention, her wand was behind her ear instead of her boot, a place she only puts her wand when she knows something bad is about to happen.

Oliver pressed a button on the chains, making them fall open and a brown ball fly upwards into the sky, before coming back down hurtling towards Harry, who hit it away with the bat, sending it through a hoop that a statue was posing with.

"You'd make a fair beater," Oliver commented with a smile, not noticing the ball heading towards him, frowning slightly when he saw Skyler grab her wand.

"Immobulus!" Skyler said calmly, the ball halting right before it hit Oliver's head, before returning back to the trunk, not moving, the chains clicking back into position as the ball started to move again.

"Oh thank you," Oliver said with a grin at Skyler, who shook her head with a small smile, placing her wand in her right combat and going back to her book. "Anyway, this is a Bludger, nasty little buggers. But you are a seeker, so that means the only ball you have to worry about is this, the golden Snitch" Oliver instructed, passing Harry a small golden ball, around the size of a golf ball, maybe smaller.

"I like this ball," Harry said with a grin, looking at the small golden ball that looked harmless, though you never know with magic.

"Ah you like it now, just wait, its wicked fast and nearly impossible to see."

"What do I do with it?"

"You catch it, before the other teams seeker, you catch this, the game is over. You catch this Potter, and we win."

The gold ball, seemed to shiver slightly as thin frail looking gold wings unravelled from its smooth surface, hovering over Harry's hand a moment before zipping off, out of their sights.

XxxX

"Now one of a wizards most rudimentary skills is levitation, the ability to make objects fly. Do you have your feathers?" professor Filius Flitwick asked, looking around his classroom to see all his students nod, spotting Skyler sitting with Neville, talking in hushed tones to the queasy looking boy, who smiled slightly at her words. "Now don't forget the nice wrist movements, swish and flick," Flitwick said, demonstrating the movement before telling his students to start trying. "Oh and remember to enunciate, Wingardium Leviosa."

"Wingardium Leviosa," Skyler said quietly, pointing her wand at the feather in front of her, which rose into the air above her head, twirling gracefully.

"Well look, Miss James has done it! Two points to Gryffindor!" professor Flitwick said happily, smiling at the young witch who smiled back, turning to Neville to help him.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Ron enunciated, moving his wand in choppy up and down movements feverishly, Hermione looking at him with frustration.

"Stop, stop you're going to take someone's eye out, besides you're saying it wrong. Its Levio-sa, not Levio-saa." Hermione instructed, turning her nose up slightly at Ron.

"You do it then if you're so clever, go on!" Ron challenged, thinking he had boxed Hermione into a corner.

"Fine, Wingardium Leviosa," Hermione said, her feather hovering in the air, suspended by Hermione's wand.

"Oh, Well done! See everybody, Miss Granger has done it as well!" professor Flitwick exclaimed, awarding Hermione a point for good work.

Ron scowled and rested his head on his arms, turning away from Hermione, who was smiling happily at her accomplishment.

"Wingardium Leviosa, Wingardium Leviosa, Wingardium Levio-" Seamus chanted, before his feather exploded in his face, coating it with charcoal and ash.

"Uh, professor. I think were going to need another feather," Harry said with a wince, looking at Seamus's shocked face.

The class filed out of the charms room, heading across the courtyard, Harry, Ron talking, while Skyler read beside them silently.

"Its Levio-sa not Levio-saa, she's a nightmare honestly, no wonder she hasn't got any friends," Ron ranted, Dean and Seamus laughing as they passed at Ron's joke. A certain bushy haired girl walked passed Ron, bumping shoulders with him, tears running down her face.

"I think she heard you," Harry said to Ron, his emerald eyes looking over to where Skyler had stopped once Ron had said his comment, her pale eyes glittering dangerously as she turned on Ron.

"How dare you say that? Of course she has friends, she has me! Which is more than you can say right now!" Skyler hissed at Ron, running after Hermione, trying to catch up with the bushy haired girl.

Ron looked at Harry with a sad frown, before both boys left for the Halloween feast.

XxxX

Hermione sat in the toilet stall, Skyler beside her, the girl twirling her wand absently, shiny ebony, crimson and silver colours of the wand seeming to melt into one another, catching the bushy haired girls interest.

"What is your wand made of, I've never seen one like that before," Hermione asked uncertainly, wondering if her question was too bold, though her wanderings were soothed by Skyler's serene smile.

"My grandmother made it for me, though I picked out the cores and wood, the core is a mixture of pixie dust and Ashwinder ash, while the wood is Ebony and Rosewood, I took it to Olivander before term started and he said that my wand had not only chosen me it had made me chose how to make it," Skyler explained gently, spinning her wand in the air and blasting a spell at the stall's door, a picture of Hermione and Skyler being burnt onto the surface, the words 'Best Friends' underneath.

Hermione smiled at Skyler, ignoring the fact she had broken the school rules of damaging school property, happy to know that the slightly odd but serene girl was her friend. A horrible stench filled the room, making Skyler and Hermione gag.

"Urgh, what's that smell?" Hermione whispered disgusted, turning to Skyler to see her pale eyes seeming to glow white and her wand in her hand.

"Get down and stay quiet," Skyler hissed calmly, a grunt soon following her hiss and the stall doors being smashed above them, both girls letting out a scream, Skyler protecting Hermione with her body so she didn't get hit by debris.

Harry and Ron flew through the doors, just as the troll hit the stalls with his club, spotting Skyler and Hermione under the rubble. The two wizards started picking up stray pieces of debris and threw it at the troll, making it slightly confused.

"Hey peabrain!" Ron shouted, making the troll swing its head towards them, while Skyler and Hermione crawled behind it and under the sinks, though it turned around and spotted them at the last second, bringing its club down on the sink, the two witches barely being able to crawl away in time.

"Help!" Hermione shouted from underneath Skyler, who was making sure that the troll couldn't see the bushy haired witch.

Harry took out his wand and vaulted onto the trolls back, thrusting his wand up the creatures nose, making it roar in pain, the others making disgusted looks at the sight of Harry's wand up the trolls nose. The troll jerked wildly, trying to get Harry from around his neck, finally succeeding and holding his at arms length trying to hit him with his club but not succeeding.

"Help!" Harry shouted at Ron, flailing wildly.

"With what?"

"Anything!"

"Swish and flick!" Skyler shouted, reminding Ron of their charms lesson earlier today.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouted, moving his wand in a swish and flick and levitating the club above the trolls, before loosing concentration and it crashing down on its head, making it fall o the ground.

The two girls walked forward from under the sinks, Hermione clutching onto Skyler's arm, loosening her grip as Skyler smiling down the bushy haired witch comfortingly.

"Is it dead?" Hermione asked fearfully, her grip tightening on Skyler's arm, making her look down at Hermione and hug the younger girl before releasing her.

"No, just knocked out I think." Harry replied, stumbling as Skyler launched into his arms, wrapping her arms around him tight, making him smile slightly, before she turned and launched herself at Ron, repeating the treatment. Harry grimaced as he bent down and pulled the wand from the trolls nose, it growling softly as it did so.

"Eugh troll boogies," Ron muttered, sharing a grimace with Hermione, who was again clutching onto Skyler's arm.

The bathroom door sprang open, to reveal Professor McGonagall, professor Snape, and professor Quirrell.

"Oh!" McGonagall gasped, turning to the four first years. "Explain yourselves!"

Ron and harry strained to think of a good excuse, while Hermione opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off by Skyler.

"Its our fault professor, we went looking for the troll, we've read about them and thought we could hand it, but we were wrong, if Harry and Ron hadn't of came we would probably be dead," Skyler spoke up, smiling down at the grateful Hermione who realized telling the truth would get her new friends in even more trouble.

"Be that as it may, it was a stupidly foolish thing to do, I would have expect more rational behaviour from the two of you," Professor McGonagall chastised, scowling slightly at her two favourite students. "Five points will be taken from Gryffindor, for your serious lack of judgement. As for you two," looking at Harry and Ron, "I hope you realize just how lucky you are, not many first years could handle a full grown mountain troll. Five points will be awarded to the both of you for sheer dumb luck. Now back to the common rooms with you."

Harry, Ron, Skyler and Hermione walked out of the bathroom, Snape and McGonagall following them, Snape starting to walk down a different corridor, Skyler pursing her lips slightly before turning to her friends.

"I'll be right back." Skyler told them, her friends nodding and waiting in response as their friend disappeared down the same corridor Snape did.

"Professor Snape wait up!" Skyler called after the limping figure in black robes, who hesitated before turning around to stare at the odd young witch, who took out her wand and pointed it at his leg, looking him in the eye. "I don't know what you're doing, but I certainly hope you won't be purposely hurting yourself." Skyler lectured, pulling his robe away from his leg and pointing her wand at it.

"Tergeo," Skyler muttered, watching the wound clean and repair itself, though there was still bruising on both the flesh and bone. Sparing a look at the shocked professor, Skyler returned her wand to her right combat and running back to her friends, leaving a shocked Severus Snape staring after the young girl.

XxxX


	4. Quidditch, Erised and a Unicorn

AN: So sorry for the long wait, I had to get my things ready for college, here's a long chapter to make up for it!

It was the day of the first Quidditch match; Gryffindor versus Slytherin and Harry was nervous, a fact all his friends could see.

"Have a bit of toast mate," Ron coaxed, pushing the plate closer to harry who was pushing his breakfast around his plate.

"Ron's right Harry, your gonna need your strength," Hermione agreed, the bushy haired girl having become friends with the two boys after they had saved her, though Skyler was her best friend. The girl in question had headed down to the Quidditch pitch before breakfast, stating a surprise would be there, and Hermione was dying to see it.

"I'm not hungry," Harry replied, placing his knife and fork down with a clang and reached for his pumpkin juice.

"Good luck today Potter, although now that you've proven yourself against a troll a game of Quidditch shouldn't be so hard, even if it is against Slytherin," Snape stated to Harry, before leaving the great Hall, his black robes billowing behind him, although limping slightly.

"That explains the blood," Harry whispered to his friends, having noticed the potion Masters limp.

"Blood?" Hermione asked confused, wondering what he was on about.

"Listen, last night I'm guessing Snape let in the troll as a diversion, so he could try get past that three headed dog, but he got bit, that's why he's limping."

"Why would anyone go near that dog?" Hermione asked, still confused as to why Harry though someone would go willingly near that dog.

"When I went to Gringotts Hagrid took something out of a vault, said it was Hogwarts business"

"So you're saying." Ron trailed off, tuning into the conversation having finished eating.

"That's what the dogs hiding, that's what Snape wants," Harry replied seriously, looking at his friends to see their shocked faces.

Overhead an owl squawked and the trio looked up to see Hedwig, Harry's owl flying towards them with a long package, dropping it into Harry's waiting hands.

"Bit early for mail isn't it?" Hermione commented, looking at the package inquiringly.

"Let's open it," Ron exclaimed, smiling at Harry who quickly tore the paper off to reveal a Nimbus 2000.

"It's a broomstick! More importantly a Nimbus 2000," Ron gushed running his hands over the sleek broom.

"But who…?" Harry asked in confusion before looking for Hedwig, who was being stroked by Professor McGonagall at the head table, the transfiguration professor giving Harry a slight smile.

Picking up the broom, the trio made their way down to the pitch, their mouths dropping open as they looked at the sky over the Quidditch stadium. There in the sky made out of clouds was a lion and a snake, the lion growling and snapping its jaws at the snake, while the snake hissed and lurched forward, though never reaching the lion, seeming to crash into a invisible wall.

"Oh my gosh," Hermione whispered, shocked at the two figures in the sky before running off to find Skyler, Ron wishing Harry good luck before running after the bushy haired girl.

XxxX

"Welcome to the first match of the year between Gryffindor and Slytherin, as if you didn't already notice from the Lion and Snake in the sky! Which is done by Miss. Skylar James, odd girl, quite pretty if I do say so myself and-"

"Jordan! Stay on track!" Professor McGonagall shouted at Lee Jordan, the Weasely twins best friend who did the announcing for the Quidditch matches, who had the slight tendency to go off track.

"Fine professor, and here come the Gryffindor team, new seeker Harry Potter flying on a sleek new Nimbus 2000, rumored to be the broom of the Quidditch world cup-"

"Jordan!"

"Sorry professor, and her comes Slytherin!" Jordan stated as the Slytherin flew onto the pitch taking their places. "The players get into their positions as madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game!"

"Now I want a nice clean game, from all of you." Madam Hooch shouted out to the players, before kicking open the trunk.

"The Bludger's are out, followed by the golden snitch, remember the snitch is worth 150 points and when it is caught the game stops." Lee announced as Madam hooch threw the Quaffle into the air. "The Quaffle is released and the game begins!"

"Johnson with the Quaffle, dodging the Slytherin team and Angelina Johnson scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!" In the air the lion slashed at the snakes face before darting back out of its reach.

"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle, Fletchly passes to Captain Marcus Flint who shoots and Wood deflects it! Nice save there by Oliver Wood for Gryffindor!"

"Johnson passes to Bell, who passes back, who sends back to Johnson who scores! Another ten points to Gryffindor!"

Marcus flint took the beater bat of his teammate, hitting a Bludger at Oliver Wood, who fell backwards through a hoop and falling to the ground below. The Slytherin chasers taking advantage of this and scoring ten points, making Harry grind his teeth in anger, scanning the field for the snitch. Flint and Fletchly boxed Angelina between themselves before sending her into the stands where she fell to the ground, while Slytherin scored another ten points. Harry spotted the snitch, diving after it before stopping it as his broom began to jerk around wildly, stopping to hold onto it tightly to avoid being bucked off.

"What's going on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid asked to him self, looking up at Harry through his binoculars, as Hermione did the same, scanning the stadium before noticing Snape muttering something under his breath, his eyes locked on Harry.

"Its Snape he's jinxing the broom!" Hermione whispered to Ron and Skyler, who looked over to the teachers stand to see Snape still muttering.

"Jinxing the broom what do we do?" Ron asked anxiously, watching Harry hold onto his broom for dear life.

"Skyler do something!" Hermione pleaded with her best friend not sure of what to do as she clung onto Skyler's arm, as the bushy haired girl was beginning to think of Skyler as her older sister.

Skyler nodded, whipping her wand from her combat and running away from Hermione who bit her lip nervously and watched the teachers stand. A few minutes later Hermione saw smoke starting to form next to Snape before a fire sprang up, making the potion master leap up and stamp out the fire making all the teachers look towards him and help. Harry's broom stopped moving and he was able to climb back onto it as Skyler popped up next to Hermione, who launched herself at Skyler and hugged the girl's arm to her, Skyler smiling down at Hermione before looking back at the pitch.

Harry spotted the snitch against, as the Slytherin seeker raced along beside him, the two of them diving towards the ground, the Slytherin seeker pulling up before hitting the ground, while Harry went on, jumping off his broom and crashing to the ground.

"Looks like he's gonna throw up!" Hagrid exclaimed worriedly, as Harry got up and seemed to gag, before a golden ball fell from his mouth into his hands.

"He's got the snitch! Harry Potter's got the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" Lee shouted, the stadium roaring with cheers from Gryffindor as the lion clamped its jaws down on the snake and threw it down onto the pitch, where it evaporated as the lion let out a loud roar, only to be followed by the Gryffindor's happy screaming.

XxX

"Nonsense, why would Professor Snape jinx Harry's broom?" Hagrid asked the quartet as they walked towards his cabin, Harry having changed from his Quidditch robes.

"Who knows, why was he trying to get past that three headed dog on Halloween?" Harry replied, looking up at the half giant who looked sharply back down at him.

"Who told you about fluffy?" Hagrid asked angrily, looking down at the first years though his eyes seemed to melt when he saw Hermione hugging Skyler's arm like a younger sister would do.

"Fluffy? That thing has a name?" Ron asked outraged, shuddering slightly at the thought of the large three-headed dog.

"Of course he does he's mine," Hagrid replied, "I bought him off an Irish fella I met down the pub last year, gave him to Dumbledore to guard the."

"Yes?" Harry interrupted, learning forward slightly.

"Shouldn't have said that. No more questions!" Hagrid stated, looking sharply down at the quartet. "Don't ask anymore questions, its top secret that is!"

"But Hagrid whatever fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it," Harry protested, his friends nodding fiercely behind him.

"Codswallop, Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher."

"Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a spell when I see one, I've read all about them, you've got to keep eye contact- and Snape wasn't blinking."

"It's the same for counter curses though," Skyler mused out loud, looking off to the sky, her nose wrinkling slightly as she thought hard about something, ignoring the affronted stares of her friends, before tuning back in. "Though evidence points to Snape cursing Harry's broom."

"Exactly." Harry said with a nod, smiling at Skyler who smiled back.

"Now you listen to me, all four of ya, your meddling in things that aren't meant to be meddled in! Its dangerous, what that dog is guarding is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel." Hagrid stated gruffly, staring down at the four of them.

"Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked inquiringly, looking up at the half giant.

"I shouldn't have said that, should not have said that." Hagrid mumbled before continuing down to his cabin alone as the group stood still.

"Nicholas Flamel," Harry whispered slightly, before turning back to his friends, "who's Nicholas Flamel?" Ron shook his head, as Hermione looked up at Skyler inquiringly; the slightly older girl shook her head as well.

"I don't know," Skyler, replied, her accent seeming to become thicker as she looked off into the sky again thinking.

XxX

It was now a few days before Christmas and the grounds at Hogwarts were covered in snow, which made the castle glow even more in its ethereal beauty. Hermione walked into the great hall dragging her trunk behind her as she walked towards her friends, Ron and Harry who were playing wizard chess and Skyler who was writing things down on parchment, which Hermione guessed was their holiday work.

"Knight to E5" Harry instructed his chess pieces, his knight moving instantly.

"Queen to E5," Ron replied with a smirk as his queen marched along the board, picked up her throne and smashed it into the knight, which crumbled to pierces.

"That's barbaric," Hermione said disgusted, yet intrigued.

"That's wizards chess," Ron replied with a grin as his queen removed the pieces of Harry's knight off the chessboard before moving back in place. "I see you've packed," Ron said, noticing Hermione's trunk.

"I see you haven't," Hermione replied, commenting on the lack of Ron's trunk.

"Change of plans, my parents are off to Romania to see Charlie so I'm staying here, he's studying dragons there," Ron replied, which made Skyler's ears perk up as she finished her homework placing it neatly in her bag, before taking out a thick catalog and scanning through it.

"Good, you can help Harry then, he's going to look in the library for information on Nicholas Flamel." Hermione stated, wrapping her scarf around her neck tightly.

"We've looked a hundred times," Ron complained.

"Not in the restricted section. Happy Christmas." And with that Hermione walked out of the great hall with the other students leaving for Christmas break.

"I think we've had a bad influence on Hermione," Ron said in a hushed tone to his friends, making Skyler burst out into peals of laughter, the boys joining in. Harry noticed the catalog in front of Skyler and turned to his friend.

"Why have you got a catalog its not like you could buy anything," Harry asked confusedly, making Skyler shoot him a grin.

"It's a Wizarding catalog Harry, you order things from it via your wan, money is taken from your Gringotts account and then your gifts are right in front of you within seconds," Ron replied, "Though the catalogs are a lot of money as they upgrade themselves instantly if something new comes out."

With that the boys turned back to their chess game, and Skyler back to her catalog.

XxxX

"Harry wake up! Wake up!" Ron shouted up to the dormitories, rousing Harry from his sleep, who grabbed his glasses and stumbled downstairs into the common room, where Skyler was sat down in an arm chair by the fire and Ron sat on the floor in front of the large Christmas tree.

"Merry Christmas Ron, Skyler."

"Merry Christmas," they replied back, smiling at the green eyes boy who joined Ron on the floor.

"What are you wearing?" Harry asked, staring at the warm looking sweater Ron had on.

"Oh my mum made it seems like you've got one too."

"I've got presents?"

"Yeah," Ron replied, passing one to Harry, which turned out to be an emerald green sweater with a gold 'H' on the front.

"Looks like you and Skyler have one as well then," Ron stated, looking over to Skyler who was now wearing a white jumper with a black S on the front. Harry took the note of another present, reading it out loud.

"Your father left this in my possession before he died, it is time it was returned to you. Use it well."

Harry opened the packaged up to reveal a shimmering black cloak with silver swirls, which he put on, his body disappearing.

"Whoa, its an invisibility cloak!" Ron exclaimed, pointing at where Harry's body should have been which had disappeared, only his head remaining. "They're really rare, wonder who gave it to you."

"There was no name," Harry replied, taking the cloak off and placing it besides him as he looked at his other presents.

He got a wooden flute from Hagrid, some fudge along with his sweater from Mrs. Weasely, some chocolate frogs from Hermione, and broom servicing kit from Skyler.

"Thanks Skyler!" Ron shouted suddenly after having opened his present, a signed Chudley Canons poster, which was Ron's favorite Quidditch team.

"Your welcome," Skyler replied with a grin, before the three of them walked down to the great hall for lunch, Skyler carrying her bag and seeming to struggle slightly.

When they got to the great hall they saw that the four house tables had disappeared and the other three students that had stayed over for Christmas, two Ravenclaw's and a Hufflepuff had joined the teachers at the top table. Harry and Ron sat down, leaving Skyler to sit in the middle, the girl in question was digging through her bag, shoulder deep, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, before pulling out a large sack with a grin and began to hand out presents to all of the teachers, including Snape though his was a lot smaller than the others.

Filch got a new collar for Mrs. Norris, Professor Flitwick got a new bowtie that changed theme to whatever your feelings, Hagrid got a new coat that had been charmed to repel water, and keep warm during cold days and cool during hot, Professor McGonagall got a collar and a new tartan cloak in the colors of her clan, the collar making her blush, madam Pomfrey got a plant that sung to patients to give them a restful sleep while professor Sprout got an Abyssinian Shrivelfig and Professor Dumbledore got pair of socks that matched a persons outfit when put on and lastly Professor Snape was given a vial of Exploding Fluid, a rare potion ingredient.

XxxX

"Ron! You've got to see this! You've really got to see this!" Harry shouted bursting into the boy's dorms and pulling the sheets off his friend's bed, waking the red headed boy up.

"Huh?" Ron asked blearily, barely having enough time to shove on his slippers before Harry dragged him from the common room, half way through the castle until they ended up in the room with the mirror of Erised.

"Come look it's my parents," Harry stated, pointing at the mirror where he saw his parents standing behind him.

"What are you talking about, all I can see is you," Ron said sleepily, yawning slightly.

"Maybe you have to stand right in front of it," Harry mumbled to himself, before dragging Ron in front of the mirror.

"Whoa, only I'm head boy and Quidditch captain. Hey Harry do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"How can it, my parents are dead." Harry replied with a grim smile.

The next night Harry was sat in front of the mirror, with Skyler by his side, the younger girl staring at the mirror, her nose slightly wrinkled before it smoothed out.

"Does your mother have red hair, and is your dad literally like you but much older?" Skyler asked suddenly, her pale green eyes steadily turning white as she stared at the mirror.

Harry whipped his head around to stare at his best female friend in shock, how did she know? He hadn't told her what his parents look like.

"How did you know?" Harry whispered surprised, the same look on Harry's parents face in the mirror.

"I can see them, they look very shocked," Skyler replied with her lilting Jamaican accent as her now white eyes stared at the mirror. Harry looked back at the mirror and saw what Skyler said was true; his parents were looking shocked as they stared at the odd girl beside their son.

"Back again Harry? And this time with Miss. James." Dumbledore commented from behind them, Harry turning around in shock while Skyler seemed to know he had been there and turned around with a soft smile. "I see that you like so many before have discovered the delight of the mirror of Erised. I hope by now you know what it does, though I will give you a clue. The happiest man alive could stare into the mirror and see himself exactly as he is."

"So it shows us what we want, whatever we want." Harry replied, standing up along with Skyler who was still looking into the mirror, eyes white.

"Yes and no. It shows us our most deepest and desperate desires of our hearts, now you Harry have never known your family, you see them standing beside you, but remember this Harry this mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a different place and I must ask you not to go looking for it. It is not good to dwell on dreams."

"Professor why can Skyler see my parents?" Harry asked suddenly, remembering his friend seeing them as well.

"Ah Harry now that is a good question, Skyler can see your parents because of who she is. What I mean by that is she cares for other people rather than herself, her deepest and most desperate desire is for everyone to be happy and to have what they deserve." Dumbledore replied, his sparkling pale blue eyes slipping to the still form of Skyler who was staring into the mirror with a serene smile on her face, eyes white.

Harry nodded and walked towards the door, waiting for Skyler, just out of hearing distance. Dumbledore turned to the strange girl, his eyes sad as they looked at her.

"It is starting isn't it my dear," Dumbledore stated, his eyes locked onto Skyler's now white eyes, no sign on the pale green they used to be.

"It seems so headmaster, it seems so." Skyler replied taking her eyes from the mirror and up to the headmaster who was standing besides her. "You'll get that back you know, things we lose have a way of finding their way back to us, even if they seem to be lost forever."

Dumbledore smiled down at the young witch, who smiled back before she left the room, leaving him to stare into the mirror a happy smile on his face.

XxxX

"I had you looking in the wrong section," Hermione announced, walking into the library a thick book under her arm that she had borrowed from Skyler. It had been a few weeks since school had started again after Christmas break. "How could I be so stupid," Hermione moaned, staring at Skyler who gave her a bright smile back, her white eyes glowing with the smile, they hadn't changed back yet from the mirror incident. "I borrowed this from Skyler weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

'Light reading?' Ron mouthed at Harry, who muffled a laugh behind a cough under Skyler's glare.

"Here it is, Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the philosophers stone," Hermione announced proudly having found the part she was looking for.

"The what?" the boys asked in confusion.

"It doesn't say," Hermione said sadly, closing the large book with a thud.

"The Philosophers stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It can transfer any metal into pure gold and produce the elixir of life, which will make the drinker immortal." Skyler said softly, looking up from her book on Herbology.

"Immortal?"

"It means you'll never die," Hermione piped up helpfully.

"I know what it means," Ron snapped back, opening his mouth to spit out an insult though thought not to when Skyler turned on his her white eyes glowing with anger.

"It's the only stone currently in existence and it belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel the famous alchemist, he last year celebrated his 665th birthday." Skyler continued, putting her book back in her bag, and looking towards Hermione who seemed ready to burst and nodded.

"That's what fluffy's guarding on the third floor, that's what's under the trap door." Hermione breathed out quickly, slamming her hand down on the table lightly. " The philosophers stone."

The quartet looked at each other and nodded, they had to go see Hagrid.

XxX

Harry knocked on the door of Hagrid's cabin, which was quickly opened by the half giant himself.

"Oh hello, sorry don't wish to be rude but I'm in no fit state to entertain today." With that the giant closed the door, only to be interrupted when a combat clad foot stuck its self in the way of the door.

"We know about the philosophers stone," the four chorused.

"Oh, you'd best come in then."

The four walked into the cabin, Harry and Ron onto the large sofa, while Hermione and Skyler both sat on the large armchair, which was big enough for the both of them and more.

"We think Snape's trying to steal it." Harry stated right away.

"Blimey, your not still on about him are ya?" Hagrid asked frustrated as he poked the coals in the fireplace.

"Hagrid we know he's after the stone, we just don't know why."

"Snape is one of the teachers protecting the stone, he's not about to steal it." The half giant replied, adding more coals to the fire.

"Right come on now, I'm a bit preoccupied." Hagrid said, trying to usher them out of the cabin.

"Wait a minute, on of the teachers?"

"Of course, there are other things guarding the stone, enchantments and spells" Hermione stated.

"That's right, waste of bloody time if you ask me, ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Ain't a soul knows how, except me of professor Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that." Hagrid mumbled, once again trying to get them out of his cabin.

"Hagrid, may I ask why you have a dragons egg?" Skyler asked softly, staring at the fire, white eyes glowing warmly.

"Should have known you'd know Skyler," Hagrid said with a soft smile at the young witch, who smiled back, eyes trained on the fire. The pot over the fire began to rattle and Hagrid put on some oven-mitts and took out a amber colored egg and placed it on the table, Harry, Ron and Hermione moving away, while Hagrid and Skyler moved closer.

Skyler reached out her right hand, ignoring Hagrid's warning look and traced a symbol over the eggs hot, surface, seeming not to notice the heat. Suddenly the egg cracked open, revealing a small dragon with large yellow eyes that stared up at Hagrid and Skyler with wonder. Skyler smiled at the dragon, holding out her index finger to it, white eyes glowing with warm when it latched onto her finger, sucking slightly while wrapping its body around her hand.

"Hagrid, how did you get one?" Ron asked in awe of the dragon, knowing they were illegal to have outside of dragon reserves.

"I won it of a guy down the pub, seemed quite glad to be rid of it in fact." Hagrid said with a soft frown that turned to a smile when he looked at the dragon wrapped around Skyler's hand. The half giant passed a fluffy towel to Skyler, who then began to gently wipe of the goo that was covering the dragon's skin, as scales hadn't developed yet.

"That's not just a dragon," Ron said looking at it more closely, "It's a Norwegian Ridgeback, my brother Charlie works with these in Romania."

"Isn't he beautiful? Oh look he knows his daddy," Hagrid cooed at the baby dragon, which turned to look at him, still wrapped around Skyler's hand. "Hello Norbert."

"Norbert?" Harry asked exasperated slightly at the half giants unusual names for his animals.

"Yeah well he's got to have a name doesn't he?" Hagrid replied, scratching under the dragon's chin, which in turn let out a squeal of delight.

"Hagrid, you cannot keep this dragon. I know you will miss him, but think of it this way you live in a wooden house and Norbert will be able to breath fire soon. If someone found out you had a dragon Dumbledore wouldn't be able to let you stay here anymore because having a dragon is illegal. If we take Norbert to Dumbledore now he will be taken to a new home, if not Norbert might be killed." Skyler said calmly, smiling at the half giant softly. Hagrid nodded, his eyes misting over at the thought of Norbert being killed, he would rather know Norbert was being taken care of than killed.

"Let's go to Dumbledore then Hagrid," Skyler stated softly, walking out of the cabin with the half giant beside her, her trio of friends beside them as they walked up to the castle and in front of the stone Gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

"Acid Pops," Hagrid said gruffly, his eyes still misted over with tears as they walked up the spiral staircase and knocked on the headmaster's door.

"Come in."

Entering the large office, the four first years were surprised by the amount of books and odd items the headmaster had.

"What do you need?" Dumbledore asked them softly, though his blue eyes were twinkling madly.

"Hagrid found a man with an egg at the pub, he then won it off the man fearing for the safety of the egg as the man was trying to crack it open. He then found out that he dragon was close to hatching and being the knowledgeable man that he is knew that eggs shouldn't be moved when they are close to hatching, so he looked after it until it hatched a few minutes ago. Were here to see if you could send Norbert to a dragon reserve so he could live there happily." Skyler stated calmly, her voice not wavering and giving any intention to lie she just spun, though she knew Dumbledore knew she lied as the twinkling of his eyes just got brighter.

"Of course, it is good we have such a knowledgeable keeper of keys here at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said with a smile at Hagrid, making the half giant flush at the praise. Skyler handed over Norbert who curled up in Dumbledore's hand and the quartet and the half giant went to leave. "Though all four of you will have detention with Hagrid Friday night as you were all out after curfew, along with Mr. Malfoy."

XxxX

"It's a shame they got rid of the old punishments," Argus Filch mused, as he led the five first years to Hagrid's cabin. "How I miss the screaming. You'll be serving detention in the forest tonight." With that he disappeared back up to the castle as Hagrid came out of his cabin, crossbow over his shoulder.

"Tonight were going into the forest, Harry, Malfoy and Skyler will go with Fang, while Ron and Hermione come with me." Hagrid instructed, swinging the crossbow over his shoulder as Fang bounded over to Skyler wagging his tail like a puppy when the young witch patted his head.

"The forest? I though he was joking, we cant go in there! Students aren't allowed. And there are…" Draco struggled for an answer, just as a wolf howled. "Werewolves."

"That wasn't a werewolf , if it was you would be crying from the loneliness of its howl, along with the fact it's not a full moon." Skyler stated softly, hugging Fang around the neck as the boarhound growled towards the forest.

"Right lets go." Hagrid said, walking off down a path, the first years following him.

"Hagrid what are we looking for?" Ron asked as they walked alongside the half giant.

" A Unicorn has been attacked by something, we need to go see if it's alright. If you find any puddles of silver liquid follow them, it will lead you to it, when you find it send out green sparks, if you're in trouble send out red sparks. Ron, Hermione follow me." With that Hagrid walked off, leaving Harry, Skyler and Draco along with Fang.

"Come on," Skyler said softly. "Lumos." The end of her wand lit up the way they were walking as they followed the trail of silver blood.

"Wait till my father hears of this, its servants stuff." Draco complained, following Skyler as she had the light.

"If I didn't know any better I would say you were scared Malfoy," Harry stated from beside Skyler, looking over his shoulder at the ice blonde.

"I'm not scared Potter," Draco spat back, cringing when another howl echoed through the forest. "Did you hear that?"

"They will not hurt us," Skyler stated calmly, white eyes glowing as she stared in the direction of the wolfs howl.

They continued on walking until Fang growled and Skyler let out a sound close to a hiss. In front of them was a figure shrouded in black cloaks standing over a dead Unicorn and was walking towards the foal.

"Oh no you don't," Skylar hissed, grabbing her wand and pointing it at the figure. "Mucusad-Nauseam."

Black figures erupted from the ground and sprung at the attacker chasing it into the bushes as Skyler walked towards the skittish foal. Bending down to its level, Skyler placed a hand on its muzzle, smiling when it nuzzled into her hand. Skyler brought up her wand again as she heard hoofs coming towards them, lowering it when a centaur walked towards them, snow white in color with long silver hair.

"Harry Potter, you must leave you are known to many creatures here." The centaur stated as he walked towards the trio, smiling at Skyler when he passed, bowing his head slightly. "The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you."

Draco suddenly fainted, falling to the ground with a soft thump.

"But what was that thing?" Harry asked ignoring the fact Malfoy had fainted, dividing his attention between his best friend and the centaur in front of him.

"A monstrous creature, to slay a Unicorn. Drinking the blood of a Unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. Though there are drawbacks, since a unicorn is a creature of purity, once its blood touches your lips you will live a cursed life."

"But who would want such a life?" Harry asked confused, raising an eyebrow at Skyler who now stood beside him, the Unicorn foal at her side.

"Can you think of no-one Harry?" Skyler asked, turning to Fang, patting the large dog that had been whining at the sight of the centaur.

"You mean to say that thing that killed the Unicorn was Voldemort?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment Mister Potter?" the centaur asked.

"The philosophers stone." Harry whispered, before hearing footsteps coming towards them, quickly turning around to see Hagrid, Ron and Hermione walking towards them.

"Hello there Firenze," Hagrid greeted, picking up Draco and throwing the ice blonde over his shoulder. "See you've met out young Mister Potter and Miss Skyler."

"Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. Your safe now, good luck." Firenze said before galloping off.

XxxX

"You mean you know who, is out there right now in the forest?" Hermione asked afraid, clinging onto Skyler's arm for comfort.

"But he's weak and living off the Unicorns. Don't you see, we had it wrong, Snape doesn't want the philosophers stone for him self he wants the stone for Voldemort." Harry shouted, before remembering to keep his voice down as the rest of Gryffindor were asleep. "With the elixir of life, Voldemort will be strong again, he'll come back."

"But if he comes back you don't think he'll try to…kill you do you?" Ron asked with a lump in his throat.

"If he had the chance he might have killed me tonight."

"And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final." Ron moaned sadly.

"Hang on a minute, were forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard, Voldemort always feared?" Hermione asked, looking at her friends.

"Dumbledore," Skyler said softly. "As long as Dumbledore's around Harry, your safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched."

XxX

Exams had just finished and the quartet were walking towards the great lake, the boys looking rumpled while Skyler and Hermione looked as if a hair wasn't out of place.

"I heard Hogwarts exams were hard, but I quite enjoyed myself." Hermione stated happily, clinging onto Skyler's arm.

"Speak for yourself," Ron groaned, before looking at Harry to see him holding a hand against his scar. "You alright there Harry?"

"My scar, it keeps burning." Harry replied, hissing as the pain increased.

"It's happened before," Hermione replied.

"Not like this," Skyler stated, her white eyes observing Harry closely.

"Perhaps you should see the nurse?" Ron suggested, concerned about Harry.

"I think it's a warning." Harry replied, "means dangers coming." Harry went to continue but look as if he'd had an epiphany as his eyes were locked onto Hagrid who sat on the stone steps leading into his cabin, playing on a wooden flute, not much unlike the one Harry received off him for Christmas. "Of course." Harry stated, walking towards Hagrid.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that all Hagrid's ever wanted is a dragon and a stranger turns up that just happens to have a dragon. I mean how many people run around with dragon's eggs in their pockets. Why didn't I see it before?"

The ran forwards in front of the large dragon, Hermione still clinging onto Skyler for comfort.

"Hagrid who gave you the Dragon's egg?" Harry asked quickly.

"I dunno, never saw his face."

"This stranger, you must have talked. What did he say."

"Asked about what creatures I had, to see if I could handle a dragon, I said after fluffy a dragon would be a piece of cake."

"Did he seem interested in fluffy?"

"Well of course he was interested in fluffy, how often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him; the treat to taming any beast is to know how to calm him. Take fluffy for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight asleep!" Hagrid stated happily before noticing his mistake as the quartet looked at each other before running off towards the castle. "Should not have said that!"

The four ran straight to Professor McGonagall, wheezing slightly from the long run, as they hadn't stopped.

"We have to see professor Dumbledore, immediately!" Harry demanded, staring unwaveringly at the transfigurations professor.

"I'm sorry to say professor Dumbledore isn't here, he received an urgent owl from the ministry he wont be back for a few days."

"He's gone? But this is important, it's about the philosophers stone!" Harry exclaimed in shock that Dumbledore had left.

McGonagall's lips thinned dangerously as she stared at her four students, her lips turning white. " I don't know how you four found out about the stone but I assure you it is perfectly well protected. Now go back to your dormitories. Quietly."

The four walked out of the transfigurations classroom, their heads close together.

"That was no stranger Hagrid met that night, it was Snape which means he knows how to get past fluffy." Harry stated angrily.

"And with Dumbledore gone…" Hermione trailed off as a shadow loomed over them.

"Good afternoon. Now what would four young Gryffindor's be doing in on a day like this?

"We just came from the transfiguration classroom to see if we could get help on the homework and dragged Ron and Harry with us," Skyler replied calmly, staring Snape in the eyes.

"You'd better be careful, people will think your up to something." With that Snape walked the opposite way, black robes billowing behind him.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione whispered.

"We go through the trap door. Tonight." Harry decided, looking to his friends who nodded in reply.

AN: There is a reason Skyler's now white eyes are mentioned so much, it will be revealed in the sequel.


	5. The Stone and a Surprise

AN: thanks all so much for the reviews and PMS on my last chapter. I also seem to be getting a lot of PMS asking why does Hermione seem to cling on to Skyler a lot- it will be revealed in time but Hermione see's Skyler as an older sister.

The quartet creeped down the staircase at midnight, Hermione sticking close to Skyler. When a croak erupted into the silent night, making them jump. Neville was sitting on the arm chair nearest to the fireplace, Trevor his toad on the arm.

"Your going out tonight again aren't you?" Neville asked, getting up from his seat, his blue pyjamas on display, the bear design making Skyler smile at the boy.

"Now Neville listen," Harry started, only to be interrupted.

"No, you listen! I wont let you; you'll get Gryffindor into trouble again. I'll fight you," Neville said weakly, bringing his fist up, seeming to forget he had his wand.

"Neville I'm really sorry about this, Petrificus Totalus." Skyler stated, pointing her wand at the slightly chubby boy. Neville's limbs locked together as he fell over straight as a board. Ron gulped.

"You're a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant, but scary."

Skyler ignored him, rushing over to the boy to place a blanket around him and a pillow under his head. The quartet continued out of the common room, under the invisibility cloak and making their way to the third floor corridor.

"Alohamora," Hermione whispered, pointing her wand at the lock on the door that guarded the corridor and fluffy, the lock opening with a soft clunk.

The sound of soft harp playing filled the air, along with soft snores coming from the large three-headed dog, barely hear able over the snores.

"Wait a minute he's snoring," Harry said confused at why the large dog wasn't snapping and growling at them.

"The harp has been charmed to continue to play," Skyler stated, moving swiftly over to the dog and dragging its paw away from the trap door, eyes fiercely glowing white. Harry crouched down next to the trap door, looking up at his friends, taking a deep breath and opening it, revealing total darkness.

"I'll go first, don't follow until I give you a sign, if something bad happens get yourselves out. Does it seem a bit quiet to you?" Harry asked suddenly, hearing no music or the dog snoring. Drool dropped down onto Ron's shoulder, making the four friends exchange a look of fear, before they all jumped down the trap door, landing on what seemed to be thick vines.

"Whoa," Ron whispered, "lucky this plant things here really."

The vines started to writhe and move, wrapping like cords around their legs and arms, seeming to move faster as they struggled against them.

"Don't move its Devils Snare," Skyler shouted, "You have to relax if you don't it will only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster, oh now I can relax!" Ron shouted back at Skyler, who was sitting perfectly calm. Skyler slowly dropped through the thick plants, disappearing from their sight.

"Skyler!" the three friends screamed, worried for her.

"Now what?" Ron asked, still struggling against the vines.

"Just relax!" Skyler shouted from below them, making Hermione instantly stop moving, letting her slowly disappear from sight, along with Harry.

"Help, Help!" Ron screamed, writhing against the vines.

"He's not relaxing is he?" Hermione asked worriedly, staring up at the thick mass of vines above them. "I've got to do something…what was it that Madame sprout told us, Devils snare, Devils snare its deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun that's it!"

Skyler whipped out her wand, pointing it at the mass of vines. "Lumos solem!" light erupted from her wand at the vines, which screeched and shrunk away from it, releasing Ron who dropped down next to them.

"Ron are you ok?" Harry asked, helping his friend up from the floor as Skyler placed her wand behind her ear.

"Woo, lucky we didn't panic." Ron stated, looking sheepish at the glare Hermione placed on him.

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology you mean?" Harry said with a slight smirk, before the group moved onwards.

The quartet walked through a door, the sound of wings flapping above them made them look up, alerting them to hundreds of keys flying above them, each key held up by wings. A broom was suspended a few feet above air, held there by magic. Ron took out his wand and walked over to the door opposite them, pointing it at the lock.

"Alohamora."

The spell didn't work, leaving Ron to jiggle the door handle roughly, before walking back over to his friends.

"I think we have to find the key that fits the lock," Harry stated suddenly, having looked between the broom and flying keys.

"That could take ages!" Hermione exclaimed, staring up at the masses of keys above them.

"There, that one with the broken wing." Skyler pointed out softly, the key in question being old and rusty in appearance, matching the door.

Harry climbed onto the broom, shooting up into the air, snatching the key quickly, as its broken wing ailed it in getting away. Landing, Harry dismounted quickly unlocking the door and walking through along with his friends just as the other keys shot at the door, many thuds indicating them crashing. They quickly appeared at the edge of a large chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Skyler, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly – the towering white chessmen had no faces.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."

Behind the white pieces they could see another door.

"How?" said Hermione nervously.

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

"Do we — err — have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.

"This needs thinking about…" he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces…"

Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron and Skyler think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess—"

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle. You Skyler are going to be the king."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, the king, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Skyler, Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes… look…"

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?

"Harry — move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.

"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think — let me think…"

The white queen turned her blank face toward him.

"Yes…" said Ron softly, "It's the only way… I've got to be taken."

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted, Skyler just stayed silent and faced the other way.

"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I make my move and she'll take me — that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But —"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron —"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

There was no alternative.

"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go — now, don't hang around once you've won."

He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor —

Hermione screamed but stayed on her square — the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.

Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.

The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry, Skyler and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.

"What if he's —?"

"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you recons next?"

"He'll be fine" Skyler repeated, trying to soothe Hermione who was crying.

"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."

They had reached another door.

"All right?" Harry whispered.

"Go on."

Harry pushed it open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, standing up right and snarling was a bigger troll than the one at Halloween and it had spikes on it's club.

"Run!" Skyler screamed shooting off a shield spell and stopping the troll's club in time to keep them from getting hurt, they rushed off with Skyler knocking it out with a boulder in the corner.

He pulled open the next door, the three of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"

They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.

"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and Skyler looked over her shoulders to read it:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

"Think you could figure it out?" Harry asked.

Hermione let out a great sigh at Harry and Skyler, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.

"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic — it's logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?"

"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

"But how do we know which to drink?"

"Give me a minute."

Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.

"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire — toward the Stone."

Harry looked at the tiny bottle. "There's only enough for one of us, which one will get us back through the purple flames?"

Hermione pointed at the end of the line where a small rounded bottle was, the liquid in there only being enough for one.

"Drink them, Hermione go see if Ron's fine, contact Dumbledore somehow. Harry you go on ahead, I'll find my own way through." Skyler stated, handing her friends their respective bottles. Harry and Hermione shared a sad look as they drank their liquid, before stepping through their respective fires, leaving Skyler alone in the small room.

Skyler took out her wand, pointing it at the black fire, white eyes glowing fiercely.

"Aquamenti," water shot from her wand, dousing the flames out. Revealing a thick wall of concrete blocks, Skyler scrunched up her nose.

"Bombarda!"

Slight chunks of the wall crumbled.

"Bombarda!"

Again only slight chunks crumbled away. Skyler hissed under her breath, eyes glowing a fierce white.

"Bombarda Maxima."

The whole wall shot away from the blast, a stray brick slamming against Skyler's head, knocking her unconscious.

XxxX

Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasely were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."

"How long have I been in here? Are my friends okay?"

"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasely and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried. Miss. James was fine, only a slight concussion from a stray brick."

"But sir, the Stone —"

"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that.

"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"

"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."

"It was you."

"I feared that I might have been too late."

"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer –"

"Not the Stone, boy, you — the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend — Nicolas Flamel —"

"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted.

"You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."

"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"

"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."

Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face.

"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all — the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

Harry lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.

"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking… sir — even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who —"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."

Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made his head hurt. Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me… things I want to know the truth about…"

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"Well… Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day… put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older… I know you hate to hear this… when you are ready, you will know."

And Harry knew it would be no good to argue.

"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on the sheet. When he had found his voice again, Harry said, "And the invisibility cloak — do you know who sent it to me?"

"Ah — your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things… your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."

"And there's something else…"

"Fire away."

"Quirrell said Snape —"

"Professor Snape, Harry."

"Yes, him — Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"

"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."

"What?"

"He saved his life."

"What?"

"Yes…" said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt… I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace…"

Harry tried to understand this but it made his head pound, so he stopped.

"And sir, there's one more thing…"

"Just the one?"

"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone — find it, but not use it — would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes… Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them — but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"

XxX

Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. Madam Pomfrey had held him up fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.

A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherin's smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…

"First — to Mr. Ronald Weasely…"

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with bad sunburn.

"… For the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

"GO RON!" Skyler yelled with a smile on her face.

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

At last there was silence again.

"Second — to Miss Hermione Granger… for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

"WHOO! GO HERMIONE!" Skyler and the Twins called out with a few catcalls thrown in.

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears.

Gryffindor's up and down the table were beside themselves — they were a hundred points up.

"Third — to Mr. Harry Potter…" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

"GO HARRY GO! WHOOO!" the Twins screamed out again.

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points — exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup — if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom. Also, I award fifty points to Miss. Skyler James for the use of powerful spells and the most impressive sight of damage of school property this old wizard has ever seen."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him. They also saw Skyler being swung around by the twins and Lee Jordan.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.

It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls… they would never, ever forget tonight.

Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Skyler, of course, had the best grades of the first years with Hermione a close second.

Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays.

Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "the three of you — I'll send you an owl."

"I'm afraid I wont be able too, as I'm not coming back to school next year. Though I'll be back in time for third year hopefully." Skyler stated softly, white eyes soft as Hermione clung onto her arm with a tight grip.

"What? Why not?" Harry asked franticly, worried about his best female friend.

"I'm going through a phase at the moment, but don't worry, I'll be back soon." Skyler replied with a smile, giving her friends a hug each before walking along the platform, dragging her trunk behind her. Leaving the trio of friends to watch their strange, but brilliant friend walk away, leaving them with many unanswered questions.

AN: I wont be doing the Chamber of Secrets as its to do with Skyler's phase which will be revealed in the sequel- Skyler James: Year Three. The first chapter will be up some time next week, thank you all for reading so much, I am honoured that you spent the time to read my story.


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